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I am a 2L at a average regional law school. I ended my first semester in the top 15%, but have been dropping since and am now at around the top 1/3. During my 1L summer I was an intern at a very large corporation. Now as a 2L, I clerk for mid-sized firm.

Ultimately my goal is still get big law. I realize that it won't happen my 2L summer, but I am hoping to be one of the few who ends up getting an offer or clerk position or something with big law as a 3L. Given this goal, what would be the best strategy for me this summer (my 2L summer)?

1. Continue to work at the mid-sized firm, thus getting more experience at a well known local mid-sized firm?

OR

2. Work at a second large corporation?

Basically, which of the two following would look more impressive to big law:

Scenario 1: Scenario 2:1L summer : intern at large corporation intern at large corporation2L spring: clerk at mid-sized clerk at mid-sized2L summer: intern at different large corp clerk at mid-sized3L fall: clerk at mid-sized clerk at mid-sized

Do big law firms like continuity at well known mid-sized law firm OR would they be impressed by being able to work at two very well known corporations with some mid-sized law firm?

I am a 2L at a average regional law school. I ended my first semester in the top 15%, but have been dropping since and am now at around the top 1/3. During my 1L summer I was an intern at a very large corporation. Now as a 2L, I clerk for mid-sized firm.

Ultimately my goal is still get big law. I realize that it won't happen my 2L summer, but I am hoping to be one of the few who ends up getting an offer or clerk position or something with big law as a 3L. Given this goal, what would be the best strategy for me this summer (my 2L summer)?

1. Continue to work at the mid-sized firm, thus getting more experience at a well known local mid-sized firm?

OR

2. Work at a second large corporation?

Basically, which of the two following would look more impressive to big law:

Scenario 1: Scenario 2:1L summer : intern at large corporation intern at large corporation2L spring: clerk at mid-sized clerk at mid-sized2L summer: intern at different large corp clerk at mid-sized3L fall: clerk at mid-sized clerk at mid-sized

Do big law firms like continuity at well known mid-sized law firm OR would they be impressed by being able to work at two very well known corporations with some mid-sized law firm?

Thanks

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you missed the biglaw boat. You're not going to get a biglaw offer as a top 1/3 3L at an average regional school. The typical path is 2L SA to post 3L biglaw. There is extremely little entry level hiring outside of 2L SAs, and those few spots are competitive. And biglaw partners are snobs (I've talked to a lot of hiring partners, and the down to earth ones will tell you that outright and you can easily pick up on it on the ones who don't tell you it outright), especially at the top law firms, and they really care about stuff like the pretentiousness of firm you worked at your 2L summer and whether you got an offer. It's going to make no difference to them that you worked at Uncle Joe's 50 attorney law firm your 2L summer.

Do you think you have a shot of being hired by the midsize firm after graduation? If so, why not stick with that. From the way you describe it (6 figure starting salary, very well-known in your market), it's basically BigLaw anyway.

I don't know of any biglaw firms that hire law clerks who haven't worked for them before as summer associates. I am not sure that biglaw will happen outside of 3LOCI. But note that virtually a handful of people got hired as 3Ls nationwide last year. I doubt next fall will showych improvement on that number as biglaw seems to remain under stress.

I think it is very unlikely you will get biglaw. Can you work for the medium sized firm?

I'm confused. Do you not have a shot at getting hired by the midsized firm? If that is a possibility, gun for that. They know you and your work and are way more likely to take you on than some big law firm that knows nothing about you since you didn't summer with them. After you have gotten an offer from the midsized firm, you can go ahead and participate in 3L OCI and mass mail big law firms if you want, but I think you will have about a .0000001% of getting hired. 3L hiring is just that bad, and from what I can tell, almost everyone who gets hired had a big law SA with another firm and is switching.

The big law firms will not give a shit whether you work at the midsized firm or at a second big company this summer and they won't be impressed by your internships. People know it is pretty easy to get internships. The reason you should work at the midsized firm is so that you can get an offer of permanent employment, not because a big law firm might think it is more impressive than working for a company.

Also, if the midsized firm is an option, why do you care about big law? You're starting at six figures at the midsized firm; your hours will probably be better. A midsized firm that pays six figures is an awesome, way above average outcome for someone who is only top 1/3 at an average school.

1) You are at an average school.2) At that school you are no longer at the top of the class.3) 3LOLCI: even at ,or the T-14, 3L OCI is a joke.

So for those reasons, you time is better spent at your firm, doing excellent work and maybe getting an offer. I would not go to the corporate department because less of a chance it will turn to full time jerb post graduation. Sure, apply to BigLaw, but realize it is a super-long shot.